The Lyceum Movement started in New England in 1826, when educator and scientist Josiah Holbrook founded the first lyceum in Millbury, Massachusetts. Inspired by the classical Lykeios (Λύκειος) in Ancient Greece, where Aristotle taught, the movement was created to bring education to ordinary people through lectures, debates, and readings. Lyceums quickly spread across New England, fostering education, self-improvement, and civic engagement, and many towns soon formed lyceums of their own, including Boston in 1829 and Salem in 1830. By the 1830s, there were Lyceums across the country.
When November rolls around each year many Americans begin to think about the upcoming holidays. Traditional family recipes are dusted off for Thanksgiving as relatives and friends are invited to share the feast. Almost as soon as dinner is over, thoughts turn to Christmas as decorations, presents, and parties become the center of attention. Many of our holiday traditions date back to the 19th century, and modern Americans would easily recognize their ancestor’s Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations.
In the early morning of April 19, 1861, Daniel Lawrence rode into the town of Concord on horseback, rousing the town militia with orders to report to Boston in response to President Lincoln’s call for militia volunteers. The method and timing of this call were no accident.
Stand in the middle of Concord’s North Bridge with the Minute Man statue on your right and the British soldiers’ grave on your left. Place your hands on the rough wooden handrail in front of you; slightly to the left, you will see The Old Manse through the trees. Peer down into the Concord River that Ralph Waldo called “the dark stream which seaward creeps” and brace yourself: this tale is about to get rough.
Concord’s history is filled with revolutionaries—not just the famous names we learn in school, but everyday people whose courage and vision helped define Concord as it is today. Now, there’s a brand-new way to learn about these trailblazers: the Revolutionary Concordians Trading Card Game, developed by Thoreau Farm with funding from Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area. This interactive, town-wide experience invites people to connect with Concord’s history like never before, all while exploring the businesses, cultural institutions, and landmarks that make the town special today.
In a world where men claimed to have all the answers, Margaret Fuller made it her mission to ask all the right questions. “How came I here?” she wrote as a young adult. “How is it that I seem to be this Margaret Fuller? What does it mean? What shall I do about it?” She was only a visitor in Concord, but this town was electrified by her presence.
Last fall, the Town of Concord and Concord250 were proud to be among the 37 selected recipients of a Massachusetts250 Grant provided by the Healey-Driscoll Administration and the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism. The grant funded the project “A Fight for Freedom: Honoring Patriots of Color.”
For many months, scholars, interpreters, and artists collaborated to create this signature event. The program launched in March at The Umbrella Center for the Arts with a two-hour live event dedicated to uncovering and honoring the often-overlooked contributions of Black and Indigenous Patriots during the American Revolution and the ongoing struggle for freedom and equality over the past 250 years.
April 19, 2025 marks the semiquincentennial, or 250th anniversary, of the historic battles of Concord and Lexington. To mark the occasion, from April through June 2025, in collaboration with the Town Archives, the William Munroe Special Collections at the Concord Free Public Library will present an exhibition on Concord’s April 19 anniversary traditions. The exhibition features a lecture by Michael D. Hattem, a historian of the American Revolution and historical memory. We are excited to share some highlights from anniversary events held in Concord over the past 250 years. We hope they will get you in the spirit of the upcoming festivities!
The Robbins House was originally located on an isolated farm overlooking the Great Meadows along the Concord River. The first two families who lived there were descendants of Caesar Robbins, a Revolutionary Patriot of color, and the house is one of the only known historic sites commemorating the legacy of a previously enslaved Revolutionary War veteran. In 1823, Caesar’s son Peter Robbins purchased the new two-room house and over 13 acres for $260.
In the fall of 2002, a group of Concord residents formed The Friends of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery with the mission to provide leadership to beautify, enhance, and advance the Cemetery, one of Concord’s treasures.
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